Parents How important is the club for college recruiting

[GymmomtoA]

Hello CB parents,

Seeking some advice or insight from someone who's been down this path - please bear with me as the context helps explain a lot about our dilemma.

My DD is a 10 year old L6 and hopes to do D1 college gymnastics. She trains at a new-ish gym that has a very small Optionals group with no L10's, 1 L9, a handful of L7-8 and her training group has 6 L6's. There is also a strong group of 15-20 or so Compulsory gymnasts. My DD likes the coaches and is happy at this gym, her teammates are like family. The HC has decades of experience and although there is no TOPS program per se, the gymnasts have a solid foundation with lots of conditioning, uptraining and tend to do very well at meets. However this gym has no track record of sending gymnasts to college, and over the years I've watched older girls quit the sport entirely, age out after graduating HS or those with bigger aspirations have left for bigger, more established gyms in the area.

Over the summer my DD tried out at reputable gyms in the area (that have trained Olympians and elites) and was accepted but decided not to make the switch. The biggest reason being that she wants to stay where she is comfortable. Also the best option would have been an hour commute away, which would have put a strain on my family since I have younger kids and my husband travels a lot for work. When DD tried out at this gym, DH and I noticed that they had a wall full of photos of athletes that have committed to college, but it felt a bit like a factory and we worried that my DD might get lost in the shuffle. The coach that evaluated my DD said that she had a lot of potential and getting into a program that could nurture that potential was very important while she is still young if college gym is her goal. We were torn (and felt time pressure) but eventually decided to stick with DD's current gym for at least the season and re-consider switching next season. One other issue I should mention is that DD has been dealing with fear issues and I was concerned that switching gyms would add unnecessary stress to her mental state.

For those of you whose gymnasts have made gym switches at various points in their careers with college goals in mind, how did it work out? If you could do it over again, would you have switched sooner or later? Did anyone decide to stay and have a successful outcome? Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

 

[GymmomtoA]

On second thought, would it be worth staying to see if DD even makes it to L9/10 (probably around age 12-13) and college becomes more of a realistic goal, and then making a decision, or would it be more difficult to switch at this age/level?

 

[gymgal]

Can't answer your questions about gym switches but in general - This really depends on how much confidence you have in the coaches to get your dd to the higher levels. What is the history of the gym? Are the 8/9s doing well and have advanced skills or bare minimum? Is the gym small because of location and is newer, so still building the program? How did the more advanced gymnasts who left for bigger gyms do? Did their scores increase significantly? You are also correct in considering your dd's mental state. Could the move improve her chances? likely so but only if she sticks with it. If she ends up retiring in a couple of years due to increased stress and fears, was the switch worth it? Maybe, maybe not. As for actual recruiting, yes having coaches with connections and being in a bigger gym with more talented L10s go a long way in the recruiting process. It's all about exposure. But not having this doesn't mean they won't be recruited - it just means that you as a family will have to put in more work to get her noticed.

 

[gym_dad32608]

We made a switch, although, it was less intentional and more forced on us as the old gym was having ownership and coaching issues (coach quit, owner was not interested in a strong DP program). Right at about the same age and level as you are talking about. We ended up going to a gym that is a 4 hour round trip commute. Similar circumstances, this gym has a track record of college gymnasts, several elites and a great reputation. In reflection, I wish we had did it a year earlier. The coaching she received and how she has progressed have put her in a position where a D1 scholarship is a viable possibility. I feel if she had started there perhaps a year earlier she might have excelled even more.

In addition to the coaching (another consideration for D1 path), the coaches there are well-known to the college coaching community. And as I am sure you know. in life, networks and relationships matter. Her coaches have the ability to call any college coach to get them to come to the gym and evaluate an athlete(s). We have had over 20 colleges visit the gym this last recruiting cycle including all the top 5 squads. Her gym coaches now know her very well, how she trains, her personality, etc. and that helps for them to advocate for her to potential colleges. I would not wait till she was a L10.

But you know your daughter best, if her fears and anxieties are detrimental with a switch, then its not worth it. In other words you cant really force it. My daughter was intimidated starting especially training with national team members, but she wanted to go and loved the challenging gymnastics and it has so far worked out. (if you want to know specifics please feel free to message me directly) Good luck!

 

[Tmacs]

I personally would not switch. Yes, it may mean it puts her at a disadvantage later on, but I'm all about giving my gymnast a normal childhood and having our family life be calm and stress free. If she loves her gym and is getting good coaching, then she should stay. If she makes it to a higher level and the dream of college is still there, maybe switch later. My daughter is at a small gym that used to have (10+ years ago) college recruits. They now are rebuilding and have excellent coaches. We only have about 20 optionals with L9 being the highest. But... I truly think with the talent and coaching, that our gym may start to have some results later on... she's on track to potentially do college gym ... but either way, my daughter is healthy, happy, and progressing quickly. Plus, she is still able to have downtime and family time.
Finally, as a former college athlete, I'll say that college athletics can be fun, but it's also a huge time suck, and for me, it was not great. That's why I'm probably against doing radical things at a young age for the chance at something that could very well not work out or be a huge disappointment.

 

[BusyMomof2]

I feel like you are describing our gym! Every situation is different but I am not willing to commute more // create more logistics around gymnastics at L6. If my daughter continues on, we could consider a change around high school. FWIW, we have a friend at an elite/D1 college producing gym about 1.5 hours away, and she's doing excellent, but she homeschools and her entire life is gym. She is the same age as my daughter but they have very, very different lives and there is no way I would want that for my 10 year old. Just my two cents.

 

[tiffl917]

We actually switched to a small gym. My daughter was one of 2 L9’s and then 10’s. The other one was out most of that time with injuries. So my daughter pretty much competed alone. The gym did not get big college coaches coming in until my daughter. We are in Houston for context…so we have our pick of powerhouse gyms. I truly believe the right coach and atmosphere can get your daughter where she wants to go. My daughter is a sophomore D1 gymnast and had several offers. It’s all about how good she is and how much you put yourself out there!

 

[kdb150]

Coaching and equipment definitely matter in your daughter successfully getting to a D1 school, but there is no rush! Rearranging everything around this now while she is still 7-8 years out from college is unnecessary.

If she progresses to level 8-9, you can always sit down then and assess with her what she wants to do, but she's still at an age and level where it is far more important that she's comfortable and happy doing the sport rather than being at a gym that has a program which can train kids to be D1 gymnasts.

 

[gym_dad32608]

Coaching and equipment definitely matter in your daughter successfully getting to a D1 school, but there is no rush! Rearranging everything around this now while she is still 7-8 years out from college is unnecessary.

If she progresses to level 8-9, you can always sit down then and assess with her what she wants to do, but she's still at an age and level where it is far more important that she's comfortable and happy doing the sport rather than being at a gym that has a program which can train kids to be D1 gymnasts.

I dont disagree with you and there are many paths to get to the same destination. The best path is the one that works for you and your family. But I do want to point out that while a 10 yo might not actually start college till they are 17-18. The recruiting process (in general) begins at 14-15 with scholarship offers after your sophomore year of high school. Again, this is on average, and there are certainly exceptional cases where someone was able to get some type of scholarship during their senior year for D1. Just to make a completely informed decision.

 

[GymmomtoA]

Thanks to all of your responses - so insightful! I'm reassured to hear examples of gymnasts who got recruited from smaller gyms. I also want to prioritize my DD's mental health and enjoyment of the sport first and foremost so don't want to make any changes until it becomes absolutely necessary. One other question - how I would know if she is getting the coaching she needs at her current gym to make it to L10 (and does well there without forming any bad habits along the way) if there aren't any prior examples of L10s who "made" it? There are so few Optionals girls at the gym that it's hard to tell even from meet scores due to the small sample size. It doesn't seem like any of the older gymnasts have college dreams.

 

[GymmomtoA]

We made a switch, although, it was less intentional and more forced on us as the old gym was having ownership and coaching issues (coach quit, owner was not interested in a strong DP program). Right at about the same age and level as you are talking about. We ended up going to a gym that is a 4 hour round trip commute. Similar circumstances, this gym has a track record of college gymnasts, several elites and a great reputation. In reflection, I wish we had did it a year earlier. The coaching she received and how she has progressed have put her in a position where a D1 scholarship is a viable possibility. I feel if she had started there perhaps a year earlier she might have excelled even more.

In addition to the coaching (another consideration for D1 path), the coaches there are well-known to the college coaching community. And as I am sure you know. in life, networks and relationships matter. Her coaches have the ability to call any college coach to get them to come to the gym and evaluate an athlete(s). We have had over 20 colleges visit the gym this last recruiting cycle including all the top 5 squads. Her gym coaches now know her very well, how she trains, her personality, etc. and that helps for them to advocate for her to potential colleges. I would not wait till she was a L10.

But you know your daughter best, if her fears and anxieties are detrimental with a switch, then its not worth it. In other words you cant really force it. My daughter was intimidated starting especially training with national team members, but she wanted to go and loved the challenging gymnastics and it has so far worked out. (if you want to know specifics please feel free to message me directly) Good luck!

Sorry CB isn't allowing me to message you directly so feel free to respond only with what you're comfortable sharing. It sounds like you had a positive experience switching gyms and even wish you had done it sooner. How do you make the 4 hour round trip commute work? Does your gymnast home school? Did you make the switch to this particular gym because your daughter was clear about her college goals and wanted a gym that could get her there? What level/age is she now?

 

[GymDad00]

We made a switch, although, it was less intentional and more forced on us as the old gym was having ownership and coaching issues (coach quit, owner was not interested in a strong DP program). Right at about the same age and level as you are talking about. We ended up going to a gym that is a 4 hour round trip commute. Similar circumstances, this gym has a track record of college gymnasts, several elites and a great reputation. In reflection, I wish we had did it a year earlier. The coaching she received and how she has progressed have put her in a position where a D1 scholarship is a viable possibility. I feel if she had started there perhaps a year earlier she might have excelled even more.

In addition to the coaching (another consideration for D1 path), the coaches there are well-known to the college coaching community. And as I am sure you know. in life, networks and relationships matter. Her coaches have the ability to call any college coach to get them to come to the gym and evaluate an athlete(s). We have had over 20 colleges visit the gym this last recruiting cycle including all the top 5 squads. Her gym coaches now know her very well, how she trains, her personality, etc. and that helps for them to advocate for her to potential colleges. I would not wait till she was a L10.

But you know your daughter best, if her fears and anxieties are detrimental with a switch, then its not worth it. In other words you cant really force it. My daughter was intimidated starting especially training with national team members, but she wanted to go and loved the challenging gymnastics and it has so far worked out. (if you want to know specifics please feel free to message me directly) Good luck!

4 hour round trip? Wow, that's 20-24 hours in the car a week ... basically approaching your daugther's training hours in commute time? Is that a temporary plan until your daughter seems happy at the gym, or are you planning on making a relocation to be closer to the gym.

 

[NutterButter]

One other question - how I would know if she is getting the coaching she needs at her current gym to make it to L10 (and does well there without forming any bad habits along the way).

One thing to look for are the specific skills being trained on each event and how athletes are being progressed on these skills. Then compare this to skills that are competed by college athletes. College coaches are going to be looking for 10.0SV so you will want to make sure the skills being taught will lead to that. For example, when my DDs gym when she was there did not train single bar release skills. Kids at her gym had great fundamentals and because of this usually did well as a team on bars however college coaches are really going to be looking for the release skill. Kids start working drills for them years before they will compete it. The kids from my DDs gym who go onto college gym, are never candidates for bars. Vault too - round off entry vaults are preferred to front entry. Are the kids at your gym learning tsuks or yurchenkos? Yurchenko drills started a couple years before the vault itself would be competed. Depending on your state and region, it is possible to compete watered down L10 routines and still do quite well at meets but this doesn't equate to having skills that are ready for NCAA gymnastics.

 

[gym_dad32608]

4 hour round trip? Wow, that's 20-24 hours in the car a week ... basically approaching your daugther's training hours in commute time? Is that a temporary plan until your daughter seems happy at the gym, or are you planning on making a relocation to be closer to the gym.

No, we have been doing it now for about 3 years. We have no intention of relocating for a variety of personal reasons. I cherish the one-on-one time with her for sure. It can be a pain, but like every challenge a family faces, whether by choice or force, you make it work. It does take a village, and we have a couple of other families in nearby towns that go to the gym so sometimes carpool. I guess that is one of the benefits of going to a high-profile gym, there are usually a couple of families that are in similar situations.